Main Street Matters By Michelle Owens - Executive Director, Tybee Island Development Authority/Main Street
After a month of living full-time on Tybee, it appears there’s something important the locals think I need to know.
Wherever I go, someone is sure to share one particular piece of intel. By now, I figure these recurring words of wisdom must be the key to surviving and thriving
in my new job overseeing the city’s Development Authority/Main Street Program.
“Tybee is quirky,” people say to me with about as much gravity as a spy divulging the mysterious Google algorithm. At first I didn’t know what to do with that
information. But my first week on the job, when a big, beautiful dog came trotting up to my desk in City Hall and waited expectantly for a pat on the head, I started
to get a clue. When my 89-year-old neighbor complained that her family forbade her to put naked men on her birthday party invitations again, I knew for sure.
Tybee is quirky.
That’s good to know. I’ll fit right in.
I grew up in these parts with four sisters, barreling up and down the roads of Thunderbolt on skates and a bike. After graduating from Blessed Sacrament and
St. Vincent’s (schools I loved), I swore to my parents I’d never wear green plaid again in my life – a promise I’ve held to…religiously. I graduated from Savannah
State University, married a Navy man and moved around the great USA for the next few decades, pursuing a career in journalism and economic development. A
few years ago, we bought a house on Tybee and spent every free weekend here.
And then, along with Navy retirement and empty-nester hood, came the opportunity to move here full-time. That opportunity landed us smack in the epicenter of
quirky, where I hear its okay to swig whiskey from the bottle, but don’t dare get caught with single use water bottles. It’s ok to swat mosquitos and flies, but do not
ever, under any circumstances, disrespect the honeybees. And I’m coming to learn that the open-hearted people here will forgive almost anything except parking
tickets, walking on dunes, problematic STVRs and cigarette butts on the beach.
That’s all good with me. I tend to be quirky myself. I won’t tell you how. You’ll have to meet me to find out.
With introductions out of the way, I want to share with you some exciting, holiday events planned by the Main Street Board of Directors. We are kicking off the
holiday season of events with Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30. This is an opportunity to support the small businesses on the island by doing your gift shopping
here.
We’re also bucking the trend on Tybee (big surprise there) and hosting a night time Christmas parade this year. Mark your calendars for Friday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m.
to see Christmas floats, the Tybee Christmas Tree (and probably some spectators) get lit for the season. The city has purchased a new holiday light display and we
want to show it off in style. If you want to be in the parade, you’ll find the sign-up form in this issue. Finally, we’ll wrap up the holidays and the year 2019 with a
colorful display of fireworks at the pier at midnight, Dec. 31.
30 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | NOV 2019